Ski resort parking.

[ilovepugs]

Stowe does not have room for a large shuttle lot and has only one single-lane access road that people without winter tires frequently struggle to make up, causing huge congestion in a significant swathe of town. The vast majority of people who go to Stowe are people who drive there — far more people are likely to fly to Colorado to ski. It also just does not have a ton of parking for its popularity… I would venture a guess that Killington has, what, 5x the parking spread across multiple base areas and a double-laned access road. Sugarbush has fairly limited access as well but more parking and the single option-single lane road is limited to about a mile from the resort, not 8 miles or so.

 

[RachelV]

I dunno, that sounds like the perfect situation to put a a big shuttle lot at the bottom of the access road. It's 6 miles from the commuter lot to Aspen Highlands, for example, so not dramatically different.

 

[Jilly]

Lake Louise has a really good size parking lot. But there is shuttle lot east of the access road. Parking is so far free as there is no accommodation on the hill.

Tremblant has 1 paid parking lot. It's a walk from P2 and after that it's shuttle, unless you're like @SkiBam and park on the north side lot which has always been free and usually less crowded. Sometimes you get lucky and park right up against the snowbank and run.

I do think that paid parking is going to become a "thing". You pay to park just about anywhere for anything anymore. I've paid $40 to park in downtown Toronto. Then had to paid another $12 (I think) for the ferry to Toronto Island. Just paid $25/day to park at the Olympic stadium for the DB races last week. I could have taken the Metro. My choice.

The one thing I don't understand is that I have to paid to park at our local hospital, but I can park for free at the Casino. Think about it!!

 

[ilovepugs]

I dunno, that sounds like the perfect situation to put a a big shuttle lot at the bottom of the access road. It's 6 miles from the commuter lot to Aspen Highlands, for example, so not dramatically different.

They would have to buy out and bulldoze a lot of the businesses that are at the bottom of the road. Not saying it’s impossible but there’s a lot of stuff already there and it would be an environmental/permitting nightmare. I think there’s also a river that goes along much of Mountain Road that they’d have to build around. Hard to describe it in writing… it’s a physically small town with narrow topography and building corridors, very different from the wide open spaces of the west!

 

[Skier31]

Isn't this basically what Aspen does, though? Aspen does have that one big lot (Bush Creek maybe?) a few miles away where you can grab a bus to any mountain, which is free. Otherwise, if you want to park at the mountain you've got to pay or have 4 people in your car.

IMHO Aspen is basically the perfect model as to how to incentivize buses and carpooling while still letting people park at the mountain if they really want to.

Is the difference just that Vail & Stowe dont't have room for a Bush Creek-sized shuttle lot? Does Aspen just have significantly fewer skier visits than places closer to the Front Range so it's all less of an issue?

There are other places that deal with Vail levels of crowds that do the "huge shuttle lot is always free, close parking is not" thing - Copper, Breck, and Keystone all come to mind.

I read the information as coming from the town of Vail. I guess I don't see a problem with people parking on the frontage road.

I am all for carpooling. I guess I am spoiled at Snowmass. Brush Creek is free. Buses come frequently and you can get places easily. There is no need to drive a car. I did not realize there were free lots outside of Vail. I thought all of the parking was in the parking structures or on the frontage road.

I am even ok with paying for parking but at some point it seems prohibitively expensive.

 

[Mudgirl630]

Yikes!

Luckily, in Aspen/Snowmass, we have free shuttles everywhere, so that I never drive to any of our four mountains.

I walk to the Aspen mountain, 5 min walk. All the other mountains, I hop on a shuttle. Thank goodness.

 

[jthree]

Stowe Mountain Resort releases parking prices on web

Stowe Mountain Resort will charge $30 a day to park at the resort next year, or $450 for a season’s parking pass.

www.vtcng.com

Stowe quietly announces parking prices for next season - New England Ski Journal

It’s going to cost skiers and riders $30 per day to park their cars next season at Stowe Mountain Resort in Vermont.

www.skijournal.com

The announcement for Stowe. 4 people anytime is free, any time after 2 pm, and also Mon to Thu is free. It’s the weekend when 3 or less people in the car before 2 pm that there’s a fee. At least that’s what it seems like from what I’m reading. How are they enforcing that for early morning touring?

Stowe does not have room for a large shuttle lot and has only one single-lane access road that people without winter tires frequently struggle to make up, causing huge congestion in a significant swathe of town. The vast majority of people who go to Stowe are people who drive there — far more people are likely to fly to Colorado to ski. It also just does not have a ton of parking for its popularity… I would venture a guess that Killington has, what, 5x the parking spread across multiple base areas and a double-laned access road. Sugarbush has fairly limited access as well but more parking and the single option-single lane road is limited to about a mile from the resort, not 8 miles or so.

Yes, @ilovepugs is right about Stowe. A friend lives in town (she is not a skier, although her husband/kids are) and the uptick in traffic during ski season since Stowe became a Vail resort is really affecting the town.

I didn't get any sort of Epic pass for this year and not regretting it. Stowe is a great mountain and I want to ski it more, but since my day job limits my skiing to mainly weekends it's just not fun there.

 

[NWSkiGirl]

I'm just hoping all this overcrowding is going to lead to new ski resorts!

I agree carpooling and busing is ideal for the environment, but when it's done due to overcrowding and a push to maximize profits it's hard to take.

 

[ski diva]

Update on Stowe parking: The $450 parking pass sold out within minutes of it's going on sale on line. This pass does not guarantee parking, though it does save $30 a visit.

What. A. Mess. As @ilovepugs said above, Stowe does not have room for a large shuttle lot and has only one single-lane access road. The town actually voted against a large remote lot last year -- to be honest, there's no where to put it.

What really bothers me is that people who want to ski there weekends or peak periods are essentially captive to this policy. There are a lot of people who have million dollar homes at Stowe, so for them, the $450. is pretty insignificant. The biggest losers are locals who can only ski weekends or peak periods, as well as those who don't have a high income. This will essentially close them out of Stowe. And pay attention, Divas, I have no doubt that this is coming to Okemo, too.

 

[marzNC]

Update on Stowe parking: The $450 parking pass sold out within minutes of it's going on sale on line. This pass does not guarantee parking, though it does save $30 a visit.

Is there any free parking at Stowe?

At Solitude in SLC, there is no free parking but the parking fee depends on the number of people in the car. The more people, the lower the price. Solitude is very limited on land. A small lot was added a few years ago for people who already have a pass or ticket near the base of a lower mountain lift.

Down the road at Brighton, there is a small section of the lot (one big lot) that is paid parking but the rest is free.

 

[ilovepugs]

The biggest losers are locals who can only ski weekends or peak periods, as well as those who don't have a high income. This will essentially close them out of Stowe.

This is me. Would love to do another season at Stowe but can only do weekends there — too far for me to ski mid-week — so no more Stowe for me. :(

 

[MissySki]

It stinks for anyone who is that captive audience, both local and second home owners alike. But there is definitely a different burden to the well off versus the not so well off. And hence the total hypocrisy of Vail's pass pricing supposedly being good for inclusion in the sport like they love to say. They couldn't care less about access for poor folks, at least not at their fancy premier resorts like Stowe. They care about the wealthy who will continue spending much more money at the resort beyond a pass and even parking.

 

[snoWYmonkey]

The irony! The orginal post showed the wild prices for Jackson Hole. Well, they sold out in under 2 hours. I logged on 3 hours after they went on sale. Guess I am paying 20 dollars a day during the holiday rush and riding the bus the rest of the time.

Let it be known that I love public transportation. I don't love spending 45 minutes in sub zero weather anxiously watching busses fill up and drive away while fighting for a spot after spending 6 hours outside teaching, only to have to stand for another 45 sandwiched between sick and snotty people during the holidays.

 

[MissySki]

The irony! The orginal post showed the wild prices for Jackson Hole. Well, they sold out in under 2 hours. I logged on 3 hours after they went on sale. Guess I am paying 20 dollars a day during the holiday rush and riding the bus the rest of the time.

Let it be known that I love public transportation. I don't love spending 45 minutes in sub zero weather anxiously watching busses fill up and drive away while fighting for a spot after spending 6 hours outside teaching, only to have to stand for another 45 sandwiched between sick and snotty people during the holidays.

Wait, they don't give free parking to employees???

 

[snoWYmonkey]

@MissySki. Never have. We do get a bus pass. There would not be enough parking for guests. 3 or more per car is free. I drive a suicide door pickup with a flat board setup for my dogs in the tiny back seats.

 

[Jilly]

This is why I rent on the hill.

 

[ski diva]

It stinks for anyone who is that captive audience, both local and second home owners alike. But there is definitely a different burden to the well off versus the not so well off. And hence the total hypocrisy of Vail's pass pricing supposedly being good for inclusion in the sport like they love to say. They couldn't care less about access for poor folks, at least not at their fancy premier resorts like Stowe. They care about the wealthy who will continue spending much more money at the resort beyond a pass and even parking.

EXACTLY!!

 

[RachelV]

... Let it be known that I love public transportation. I don't love spending 45 minutes in sub zero weather anxiously watching busses fill up and drive away while fighting for a spot after spending 6 hours outside teaching, only to have to stand for another 45 sandwiched between sick and snotty people during the holidays.

I know, mass transit in the US is often inconvenient, which then makes it harder to convince people that it's worth spending money on mass transit at all. It's so frustrating. So few people in the US have lived in places that have truly good mass transit, it's not surprising that most people don't really consider it an option. Which is a real shame, because living in a place where you don't have to get in your car for every little thing is truly wonderful.

Like, how hard would it be for big resort destinations to have heated waiting rooms with restrooms at big park n ride stops, and buses that run on a more or less continuous schedule on weekends & holidays? NOT THAT HARD. Fund it with a $50 annual unlimited bus pass or something, or a $5 ticket add on if you're visiting. But try something that's actually good!

I could honestly rant on this topic forever, so I'll cut it off here. ;)

 

[Christy]

I love the transit system in Sun Valley and @RachelV's post makes me wonder what makes it work so well. It's a regular bus system (though much more extensive than in a regular small town), rather than a resort shuttle from parking. It drops you off a very short walk from a lift (if you drive and park you have a longer walk). It goes to both Sun Valley bases and Dollar Mt (learning mt) and runs every 15 minutes. So whether you have a condo in SV, are staying at the lodge, or live in or are staying in Ketchum, you have bus service to town and the mountains. It's free, and is funded mostly through federal grants and also a sales tax percentage. The buses have exterior ski racks. Maybe it works so well because this is such a small geographic area? It's a compact town and the mountain is a mile from downtown. Maybe the fact that it's a municipal system means it's eligible for federal grants, and they have very competent people that made this happen? It's such a win-win. You don't have thousands of tourists needing to rent cars, which means you don't have to have crazy big parking lots at the hotels or in downtown; you don't have to ruin the landscape at the mountain with huge parking lots (there is one big one).

 

[MissySki]

I've always thought the public transportation system in Aspen was great too. So easy to go between mountains and I've never rented a car when there.